we've had no snow for multiple years, so everybody forgot how to drive in it, so now we finally get it and nobody knows how to drive in it or manage it. >> this is going to go on for a number of days. >> people are still digging out this sunday and will be for some time. good afternoon to you, i'm craig melvin. the massive snowstorm still causing lots of problems for many in the northeast, but traveling is getting a little bit easier. meanwhile, new surveillance video released of the former cop suspected of killing three and injuring two others, and the new tactin under way to find the fugitive. meanwhile, back in washington, for president obama, it's all about the state of the union. this afternoon we'll tell you what he plans to say during that prime time address to the nation. but we start with weather. and as we mentioned, the

snowfall has ended, but the cleanup and the dig-out is going to be going on for some time. we'll get back to our weather in just a few moments. within the next hour, we are expecting to get official word or expecting to get word that the reward for the suspected cop killer is being raised to $1 million. that's according to "the los angeles times." the lapd, the l.a. mayor and other top officials are scheduled to hold a news conference soon. they'll have the latest on the manhunt for chris dorner, the ex-cop who's accused of killing three people, including one police officer. the latest image we have of dorner is this, some surveillance video taken monday behind an auto parts store near san diego. meanwhile, the tsa is asking airports to keep a close eye on their aircraft. they believe that dorner may have had some flight training during his time in the navy. nbc's john yang is watching all of the developments for us from los angeles this afternoon. and again, we're waiting for

that official announcement, john. but what are we hearing in terms of a dollar amount that's going to be offered? >> well, as you say, the "los angeles times" is reporting that it's going to be about $1 million. this is a joint fund put up by the city of los angeles, the city of riverside, where a policeman was killed on thursday, and the city of irvine, where two people, the first victims were believed to have been killed a week ago today. this money is coming from government organizations, from police law enforcement, from private donors, from corporate donors in the city, these cities. they say they've raised about half of the $1 million goal, but they sdpoekt gexpect to get tha million to put up for a reward for the information leading to the arrest and capture of dorner. the search is going on. the most visible part of the search up in big bear lake in the san bernardino mountains. very snowy up there right now.

the san bernardino sheriff says they have about 25 officers out today supported by a helicopter. that's about a quarter of the number of officers they had at the beginning of the search. but as they've sort of whittled down the number of vacant lodges and cabins up there that they've got to check, they're shifting the manpower accordingly. and of course, that is the area where they found dorner's burned-out pickup truck on thursday. the last time they saw any trace of him, the officials acknowledge they have had no sightings of him since then and no new evidence of where he may be, craig. >> quickly, i know the lapd is reopening the investigation into his dismissal from the department. what are they hoping to clear up? >> a part of that is to try to, they say, chief beck says it's to try to reassure the community that they are taking these allegations of racism seriously. >> okay. >> they say they are not trying to appease him, but of course, in his manifesto, he said he

wanted his name cleared. >> nbc's john yang from burbank for us today, thanks. we'll check back with you later in the show as well. we want to get back to our top story now, that storm that left parts of the northeast trapped under some 3 1/2 feet of snow. earlier today, president obama declared a state of emergency for connecticut, giving the state federal resources for cleanup and recovery. i want to go to ron allen now, who is standing by in hartford, connecticut. ron, where you're standing in hartford, the lowest snowfall is about 27 inches, but i understand a little farther south in hamden, they got dumped with about 40 inches of snow. how long before local cleanup crews can get those roads clean? >> reporter: that's a good question and that's the question that people all over this state are asking. there's just a lot of snow here all over the place. i'm going to show you something down the way here. you can see it's a long shot, but there's a commuter, a peter pan bus down there that's stuck trying to get off the highway or around this corner. it's been there for a long time, and there was another bus right

around this other corner that you couldn't see, but it's been there for a long time, but it's an example of the kinds of problems people are still having trying to get around. that bus is obviously blocking traffic. but if you pan around the other way, you'll see that the roads here are still pretty treacherous. and over to your far right, there's a big dump truck full of snow. you see those all over town. they're carting, i guess, tons and tons of snow to a place where they're dumping it and trying to get rid of it, because what do you do with so many snow? in some places, they had over three feet, the top was about 40 inches, but that's the big problem, trying to get rid of all this snow. the airport is open, so there's some movement. the travel ban has been lifted, but most of the local communities are still urging people to stay at home, so i would expect that schools are not going to open up tomorrow. i would expect that most businesses are still going to be shut down. there's still a feeling of paralysis here and shutdown, even though the worst of it is over and the conditions are improving somewhat. >> what's the word on mass transit at this point there? >> reporter: well, that's bus

down there that's pretty stuck, but they're not mass transit. but i would think that it's going to be probably a limited schedule at best. >> okay. >> reporter: they're taking this hour by hour into the night, and i'm sure there will be more notices. we expect the governor here to brief around 6:00 p.m., and i'm sure into the evening, these are questions everybody has, can i get to work, can i get to school, what will be open? i'm sure through the night they'll be working on that to try to get information out through social media and other means to keep everybody abreast of what's going on. >> for those of us who live in connecticut, we're trying to figure out whether or not the trains will be running. >> reporter: that was a very personal question. >> it was. >> reporter: i forgot you lived in connecticut. >> thank you, sir. on tuesday, the president will deliver the first state of the union address of his second term in between guns and drones, immigration and unemployment, there is certainly no shortage of topics to talk about. joining me now, white house correspondent peter alexander. pete, how is the president going to be preparing for this speech and what can we expect to hear?

>> reporter: yeah, that's a good question, and having some conversations this afternoon with some presidential advisors and others, it's pretty clear that this is going to be a prevalentine's day valentine to the middle class of america, focusing very heavily on jobs and the economy, two topics that the president has been criticized by republicans for, in their words, not focusing on sufficiently. among the elements that we will hear in this speech, according to a senior administration officials that i hung up with just minutes ago, there will be focuses on infrastructure, on manufacturing, on education, as well as on research like clean energy technology. and earlier this morning on one of the sunday shows, we heard from stephanie cutter. she is a former deputy campaign manager for the president's re-election campaign. and here is how she described what we should look forward to hearing. >> the economy will be central to this speech and how we grow the economy so that everybody can participate, you have a fair shorkts pay your fair share, but there are other things that he does lay out. he'll lay out the looming deadline on the sequester, the

tough choices that we have to make around it and the consequences if we let this sequester go into effect. and you know, cuts to some pretty critical programs. >> reporter: that is the issue about sequester, with more than $85 billion, "b," billion in automatic across-the-board spending cuts set to take effect less than three weeks from now that will be a significant topic. this is the president's last opportunity to push for some compromise on that before they reach that deadline. >> all right, pete from the white house. we'll come back to you later in the show, sir. thank you. let's get a reality check now on what the president will say and what he can actually get done. joining me now, "washington post" political reporter nia-malika henderson and resident fellow, bill schneider. bill, i'll start with you. you argue that of the two main issues on the president's plate, immigration and gun control, he has a much better shot at making progress in immigration. why? >> because his party is solidly behind him on immigration and republicans are scared to death of that issue because that's one

of the reasons why they did so badly in the election last year. on guns, democrats are split and the republicans are solidly against it. so, on those two issues, i'd say he stands a much better chance of getting some progress on the immigration issue. >> but we do think at this particular juncture that he does get something done on gun control, correct? >> i think he might very well get some progress on background checks, maybe on limits on magazine sales, but very unlikely to see much action on an assault weapons ban. >> nia-malika, let's talk about immigration for a second. house majority leader eric cantor said this week that he supports children of illegal immigrants having a pathway to citizenship, but when asked about it on "meet the press" this morning, whether or not he supports the dream act specifically, listen to what he had to say. >> these children were taken, again, due to no fault of their own. it seems to me that's the best place to start. >> so, you would support the dream act? >> i have put out a proposal. i don't know what the dream act at this point is.

what i say is, we've got a place i think all of us can come together, and that is for the kids. >> so, it sounds like he's in favor of bipartisanship, but he's also not on board with legislation that's currently being proposed. how will the president reconcile this? >> yeah, it's hard to figure out what cantor was saying there because it certainly sounds like he is on board with the dream act. but i think the news out of last week, he of course gave that speech last week where he tipped his hand in terms of being seemingly supportive of the dream act. this is good news i think for where the president wants to go. the fact that somebody like eric cantor, who is in some ways obviously in the house and a leader there, the fact that he is willing to talk about this, a pathway to citizenship at least for those children who were brought here illegally. you'll see the president lay out a much more left position on this, saying that the 11 million should have a quicker pathway to citizenship. that is where i think the sticking point will be, how quickly these folks who are here

illegally, how quickly they're going to be allowed to a pathway to citizenship, whether or not it will just be green cards, and how border enforcement plays into that. that's going to be the sticking point i think for a lot of republicans. >> bill, let's look at this new poll, this new quinnipiac poll. it shows the president with just a 46% job approval rating right now. it's down from about 53% back in december, a month after his re-election. what kind of political capital does president obama have right now? >> well, he has capital coming out of the election because he won and the democrats did very well in the senate and in the house, unexpected as well in the senate, so i think he has some momentum behind him. and look, he does a lot of goodwill. he's personally very favorable. personalably, he's one of the most popular presidents we've had in years, so i think he has a lot going for him and some steam behind his agenda as he lays it out in his second term. >> nia-malika, all indications are, again, according to what we just heard from stephanie cutter and peter alexander, all indications are that the president's going to spend much of the speech on jobs and the

economy this week. as you wrote, eric cantor pivoted from budget issues to kitchen table issues, like education and health care and immigration. are the president and congress, are they shifting focus simultaneously? >> i think they are. you know, the republicans obviously got routed in 2012, and they feel like they need to figure out how to connect their rhetoric and their conservative philosophy with the way people actually live. eric cantor called that speech "make life work." it sounded ver oprah-esque in many ways. so i think the president will talk about the same things eric cantor talked about, health care, immigration, education. but i think the question is, does that mean more spending? the president will call it making investments in infrastructure, but when you talk to republicans, they call that spending. so, we're obviously going to have a lot of debates going forward around budget issues, around the sequestration, around the continuing resolution. also, i think everyone obviously

wants to talk about how do you jump-start the economy, but i think there's still quite a big gulp in terms of how to do that. >> nia-malika henderson of "the washington post," mike schneider, we enjoyed it so much, we'll do it again in a few minutes. >> thank you. innocent victims or collateral damage? the debate over america's use of drones continues. up next, general barfy mccafferty will join us to talk about that and more as well. still ahead what first lady michelle obama has in common with frank ocean. that's right, and kelly clarkson. we'll tell you. hi. hi. i'm here to pick up some cacti. it should be under stephens. the verizon share everything plan for small business. get a shareable pool of data... got enough joshua trees? ... on up to 25 devices. so you can spend less time... yea, the golden barrels... managing wireless costs and technology and more time driving your business potential. looks like we're going to need to order more agaves... ah! oh! ow! ... and more bandages.

that's powerful. shareable data plus unlimited talk and text. now save $50 on a droid razr maxx hd by motorola. when the doctor told me that i could smoke for the first week... i'm like...yeah, ok... little did i know that one week later i wasn't smoking. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix is proven to help people quit smoking. it reduces the urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of depression or other mental health problems, which could get worse while taking chantix. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you develop these stop taking chantix

and see your doctor right away as some can be life-threatening. if you have a history of heart or blood vessel problems, tell your doctor if you have new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack. use caution when driving or operating machinery. common side effects include nausea, trouble sleeping and unusual dreams. it helps to have people around you... they say, you're much bigger than this. and you are. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor if chantix is right for you. i use bounce outdoor fresh sheets because they're just that much fresher and they help keep static off in the cold so my clothes will never embarrass me. mommy, i dressed the snowman! how do you get your bounce? less static year-round.

your view seems to be that even if we could save american lives by detaining more

terrorists using only traditional techniques, it would be better to kill them with a drone or let them go free rather than detain them. can you explain the logic in that argument? >> well, i respectfully disagree, senator. i never believe it's better to kill a terrorist than to detain him. >> as president obama's choice to head the cia was grilled by congress, the u.s. military is rebooting its leadership of our lod longest war. today, general john allen, the top u.s. and nato commander in afghanistan passed the torch to general joseph dumbford. the change of command happens as many question how the united states conducts its national security policy. i want to bring in retired army general barry mccaffrey. good to see you. >> good to be here. >> we should note the general is also the former assistant to the chairman of the joint chiefs as well. for many, the public hearings raised the issue of targeted killings. what effect, if any, will all

the talk and scrutiny have on u.s. policy on the ground? >> well, i think it's a legitimate and helpful debate. you do want oversight by congress, you do want there to be known rules. you want to take into account international laws of war. however, we've killed almost 3,000 extremists, terrorist threats to the american people with these drones. these are not law enforcement operations. they are military and cia operations -- >> but general, we've also killed some civilians as well. >> well, i think the collateral, so-called collateral damage, a terrible term for innocent victims, is much higher when you're using artillery in afghanistan than when you're using a predator or a reaper in a terrorist area. so, they're extremely carefully controlled. the damage to the innocent population is limited to the extreme. you know, craig, at the end of the day, we've got to be very cautious tying the hands of the

president of the united states in foreign military operations. >> but at the same time, don't we also have to figure out a way to balance civil liberties? >> well, i don't think there are any civil liberties engaged when we're targeting al qaeda or extremist terrorist operations overseas. that's probably the wrong term to use. we've got to remind ourselves, you know, we run 200, 300 u.s. killed and wounded in the military in eastern afghanistan, in southern afghanistan, on a monthly basis. they're fighting extremists. those operations also take place in somalia, yemen, western pakistan and other places where there's a known terrorist threat. i think the american targets is almost throwing us off the track of the real issue. very few americans, i think three have been killed in action targeting us. mostly, this is foreign

extremists who are being targeted by the cia. >> on this program yesterday, former cia lawyer vicky duvall raised questions over the administration's targeted killing policy. listen. >> the problem here is that the president has been arcticing on his say so alone and those of his advisers, and in our system, we like to have a little bit better check on what's going on than just the say so of one branch of government. >> former secretary of defense, robert gates, on cnn's "state of the union" this morning spoke up for a check on the president's ability to take on these attacks as well. take a listen to this. >> i think some check on the ability of a president to do this has merit as we look to the longer-term future. >> why not have a judicial or a congressional panel as part of the process, general? >> well, i think congressional oversight is absolutely required. we do that with cia operations in general anyway.

and clearly, congress retains the power to fund or not fund programs, to impeach the president or senior officers of the government. we do want checks and balances, but congress is not a good decision-making branch for wartime operations, and seshlg essentially, that's what we're doing here, we're trying to keep another 9/11 from happening. and primarily, i might add, these aren't operations in canada and france. >> right. >> we're talking ungoverned, lawless areas of the world. >> peter baker, "the new york times" this morning, i'm sure you saw this. you wrote that president obama actually finds himself cast in a similar role to that of president george w. bush. "mr. obama has embraced some of mr. bush's approaches to counterterrorism right down to a secret legal memo authorizing presidential action unfettered by outside forces." why do you think president obama's adopted some of the bush administration's approaches to counterterrorism? >> well, you know, i'm not sure i see the parallel to the extent

that this article implies. i think obama's been extremely careful in circumscribing the use of force. we made mistakes in the bush era at first, arrested u.s. citizens, held them, we made some mistakes, torture being the worst of the lot. so, i think the obama team's been mindful of that. they're trying to be careful. but at the end of the day, better you take soldiers out of afghanistan and iraq and allow the agency and the fbi to operate overseas. so, again, we ought to be careful. don't circumscribe the ability of the president of the united states to keep us safe, but do have congressional oversight. >> general barry mccaffrey, we will leave it there. thank you. appreciate your time, as always. >> good to be with you. just ahead, gabby giffords' new purpose and what she's willing to do to reduce gun violence in this country. and the other kerry that works in washington, d.c.

is there a sibling rivalry in the cabinet room? we'll talk about that. you're watching msnbc, the place for politics. with my friends, we'll do almost anything. out for drinks, eats. i have very well fitting dentures. i like to eat a lot of fruits. love them all. the seal i get with the super poligrip free keeps the seeds from getting up underneath. even well-fitting dentures let in food particles. super poligrip is zinc free. with just a few dabs, it's clinically proven to seal out more food particles so you're more comfortable and confident while you eat. a lot of things going on in my life and the last thing i want to be thinking about is my dentures. [ charlie ] try zinc free super poligrip.

[ bop ] [ bop ] [ bop ] you can do that all you want, i don't like v8 juice. [ male announcer ] how about v8 v-fusion. a full serving of vegetables, a full serving of fruit. but what you taste is the fruit. so even you... could've had a v8. diarrhea, gas, bloating? yes! one phillips' colon health probiotic cap each day helps defend against these digestive issues...

with three strains of good bacteria. [ phillips' lady ] live the regular life. phillips'. into the political playground we go. take a look at this picture. that's secretary of state john kerry seated with the president and other cabinet members in the roosevelt room. that's thursday, kerry's first day on the job. who's the other guy, you ask, the guy circled in red? that is kerry's brother, cam, cam kerry. he is legal counsel for the commerce department. the kerrys are the first brotherly duo at that table since president john f. kenny and his brother, bobby. president obama saying good-bye to his head speechwriter, 31-year-old jon favreau, who's been crafting speeches for the president since 2005. there are rumors favreau may be headed to hollywood. he's handing the pen over to cody keenan, whose first job as speechwriter is the state of the union address. no pressure. and she's up for a grammy! first lady michelle obama was

nominated in the spoken word category for her reading of "american groom," her book on garden 'but white house officials say she has no plans to head to l.a. tonight. former president bill clinton is also nominated along about ellen degeneres, and we should note with great pride, our own rachel maddow as well. president obama already has two nominations in the category. next up, the world's largest parking lot still today closed for more storm cleanup. snow and abandoned vehicles. also, not guilty of a cover-up? joe paterno's family tries to clear his name from the jerry sandusky sex abuse case. details on that as well. [ male announcer ] no matter what city you're playing tomorrow.

[ coughs ] ♪ [ male announcer ] you can't let a cold keep you up tonight. vicks nyquil -- powerful nighttime 6-symptom cold & flu relief. ♪ this reduced sodium soup says it may help lower cholesterol, how does it work? you just have to eat it as part of your heart healthy diet. step 1. eat the soup. all those veggies and beans, that's what may help lower your cholesterol and -- well that's easy [ male announcer ] progresso. you gta taste this soup. i'm craig melvin. good sunday to you. here's a quick look at some of the top stories making news right now. three died in southern california when their helicopter crashed earlier this morning. the victims were shooting a movie about 30 miles north of los angeles.

right now, federal transportation officials say they are not sure what caused that crash. a new take on the penn state sex abuse scandal. a report out today says the late football coach joe paterno did not conspire to cover up the sex abuse allegations against his assistant, jerry sandusky. paterno's family commissioned the report and then published it on their website, paterno.com. a court found sandusky guilty of 45 counts of sexual abuse. and millions around the world are celebrating chinese new year today. the lunar new year officially began in china at midnight. it is now the year of the snake. want to get a quick update now on that massive storm. the nor'easter is now responsible for roughly 365,000 power outages, the cancellation of more than 500 flights and also ten deaths. take a look at this video shot earlier today. these are some plows driving along the long island expressway, now closed for some 30 miles.

let's get you straight on the weather channel's paul goodloe, who is in port jefferson on long island. how many inches you're standing in there, good sir? >> reporter: right now i'm standing in nothing. they finally plowed this lot, took a couple hours to do it, but take a look at what they're doing when they're plowing. i just measured this. this is just over three feet of snow now piled up behind this car. now, a couple hours ago -- i'm actually going to stand over here where the snow originally was. we're talking knee deep on me. >> wow. >> reporter: so, officially, they picked up about 25 1/2 officially in port jefferson, but we're talking blowing and drifting snow as well, and it's tough to walk narnd thearound i. driving in this morning, you mentioned the l.i.e. it wasn't just the long island expressway, it's side streets and some of the highways and parkways around here, all littered with cars, because when the snow came down on friday afternoon, i mean it came down fast and furious right after they had some rain and sleet mixing in. so, that stuff froze, then snow on top of that. and cars just couldn't go

anywhere. they were stuck. some cars behind it were stuck. then plows came through, plowed cars in. people were literally snowed in, spent the night on many highways around here. luckily, everyone has been reunited with their families, but overall, now the process, this long cleanup goes. when you get the black top exposed, there's still a strong sun here in february, it helps to melt this, and that's definitely some good news. the bad news is our forecast, craig, because we have more rain in the forecast for tomorrow, and the problem with that is we're talking two, almost three feet of snow. this has some weight to it. now you add rain on top of that, it really starts to threaten a lot of roofs around here. i know a bowling alley not too far from here, we passed it coming in here, part of their roof collapsed because of the weight of the snow. and again, people are dealing with that as well as trying to find their car, if they know what kind of car it is, and then have to deal with shoveling out all of this crusty snow now that's kind of been wind-blown. so, the winter storm that came through here, yeah, it's gone,

but now the problems remain, and perhaps the damage, especially with that rain coming in, in terms of roofs being threatened, well, the damage might not be over. but again, they're trying to do the best they can here across long island and else where here in new england, still dealing with the aftermath of this nor'easter. >> paul who got it the worst? >> reporter: well, i'll tell you what, this section of suffolk county in long island averaged between 20 and 34 inches of snow. and then port jefferson, they have ferries that go from here to bridgeport, connecticut. bridgeport, up towards the hartford area, we're talking 30-plus inches there. >> geez. >> reporter: so, i don't know who got it worse, you know? is 25 worse than 28? >> it's all relative at that point. >> reporter: yeah, it's all bad and it will take a while before this is gone. >> paul goodloe with the weather channel. president obama declared a state of emergency in connecticut earlier today and you can see why. thank you, paul. >> reporter: sure. back to politics now.

among the attendees at president obama's state of the union tuesday night will be former congresswoman gabrielle giffords. at last year's state of the union, while in the early stages of her recovery from gunshot wounds, giffords was warmly greeted when she entered. she resigned her seat in congress the very next day. a powerful image. i want to turn to the political war room. chris kofinis, former chief of staff of west virginia senator joe manchin and msnbc contributor robert traynham, a former bush/cheney senior adviser, working in georgetown now. chris, i'll start with you. gabby giffords said on facebook she'll be in that gallery again on tuesday and also said, "we'll be listening to what the president those say and are standing ready to support common-sense legislation in congress to reduce gun violence." how big a play can the president make in his speech for gun reform in the halls of congress tuesday? >> well, i think he's going to make a very strong, emotional argument. gabby giffords will be there,

there will be members of the, you know, families from the newtown shootings, you know, other victims. i mean, the victims of these shootings become the emotional force behind legislation moving forward. so, i think the president is i think very clear about it in terms of what he wants. now, what he wants smacks in the face of what is politically possible. >> right. >> given the senate, you know, politics and given the house politics. but i don't think that's going to prevent him from saying that we need to do something. and in particular, i think he'll end up emphasizing background checks, criminal background checks more, but i don't think he's going to walk away from the assault weapons ban, but he may not have obviously the ability to push that through the way that some people want. >> robert, what do you think we will not hear from the president with regards to gun violence on tuesday? >> i don't think he's going to be very specific. you know, to chris's point, ronald reagan used to highlight the heroes on the balcony throughout his state of the unions. in other words, he would put a human face to the issue or to the challenge that americans were facing at that time, and i

suspect that congresswoman giffords being in the audience is a powerful symbolism of that. you know, president obama is very smart politically, but also, obviously, intellectually, and he knows that the gun culture here in this country is very, very deep-seeded. the vast majority of gun owners are law-abiding citizens, so he does not want to offend not only the people in the room, but also the people that are watching in their living rooms. >> chris kofinis, we also know based on what we heard earlier in the broadcast and some of the sundays shows as well, that the bulk of his speech will be devoted to jobs and the economy. we're going to hear about perhaps some children in the debate of the deficit crisis. a spokesman for john boehner telling "the huffington post," "we can't keep chasing ever-higher washington spending with ever-higher taxes because it diminishes our children and grandchildren's future." does bringing children into the issue at all change the debate? >> well, i mean, state of the unions end up being about a vision, right? where do you want to take the country over the next year and then some.

and in particular, i think for the president, it's his second term. at the end of the day, this is about where he wants to leave the country once he leaves office. emphasizing the economy, jobs, is obviously smart because that's the issue that matters most for the country, but it's also smart because that's where i think most people realize we still have work to do. we've done an enormous amount of recovery over the last four years, in particular where we'd been, but obviously, there's more work to be done. the question is, how do you do it? i think that's where i think the president's going to really kind of hone into and really emphasize the fact that we cannot continue down this dysfunctional path, and he'll be highlig highlightin ining i think the republicans not in an overt way, but definitely not in an indirect way. >> what would you like to hear in terms of the president and jobs and the economy on tuesday? >> this is where i want him to be really specific about some of the cuts that need to be made, but also, some of the revenue needs to be raised. this is literally two hands washing each other. you simply cannot have a conversation about tax increases, nor can you simply

have a conversation about revenue decreases. it has to be hand in glove here. so, what i want him to do is be very, very specific about what he would cut in meaningful ways that needs to be taken out of the budget, but just as importantly, where can revenue be raised and where will that revenue go? will it go to education? will it go to schools? will it go to housing and urban development? will it go to roads and bridges? i think that's what the american people want to hear and that's certainly what i want to hear. >> chris kofinis, can the president talk about cuts? can he talk about deficit reduction and not expect to take a licking from the base? >> you mean, if you talk about entitlement programs, whether it's social security, medicare or medicaid, yeah, you're going to get some flack from the left, there's no question about that. i think the president i think has an opportunity here i think to be very honest, honest to the american people in terms of where we are, both in terms of the fiscal front and what we need to do in order to address it, honest with his own party that we may have to, you know, address some of the problems, some of the areas that we don't

necessarily want to. because of the fiscal, dire situation. and i think honest with the republicans, because you are not going to be able to solve a multitrillion dollar deficit by spending cuts alone. so, i think it all depends on how he does it, but i don't think he's going to be shy about it. you know, there's a freedom that comes from being, you know, free of re-election? >> yeah. >> and i think the president's going to be very clear about that. >> chris kofinis, robert traynham, always good to see you both. thank you. >> thank you. >> happy sunday. actor steven segal has a new role, teaching volunteers in arizona hw to use guns to protect schools. we're going to bring you that story next hour. first, though, president obama may be putting the finishing touches on his state of the union address this afternoon, but today has even greater significance to the president's legacy. we'll tell you what that is after the break. ♪ secret agent man wait for it.. wait for it... [ dog ] you know, i just don't think i should have to wait for it! who do you think i am, quicken loans? ♪ at quicken loans, we won't make you wait for it.

our efficient, online system allows us to get you through your home loan process fast. which means you'll never have to beg for a quick closing. one more way quicken loans is engineered to amaze. bonkers, look at me when i'm talking to you.

all your important legal matters in just minutes. protect your family... and launch your dreams. at legalzoom.com we put the law on your side. the democratic party made history today. it elected ron brown its chairman, the first black to

head a major american political party. after the election, brown declared that his leadership will not be about race, it will be about races the democrats win over the next four years. brown is a former aide to senator edward kennedy and adviser to jesse jackson. he declared, "i did not run on the basis of race, but i will not run away from it." >> seven years later, ron brown was on a trade mission in croatia when he and 34 other people were killed in a plane crash. today, president obama's looking forward to his state of the union address scheduled for thursday nig tuesday night, but this day in 2007, then senator obama went to springfield, illinois, to make an announcement. >> i stand before you today to announce my candidacy for president of the united states of america. >> reporter: at the state house where abraham lincoln called on a divided nation to unite, obama pledged to bridge a political divide, offering himself as part

of a new generation that can build a more hopeful america. >> let's be the generation that makes future generations proud of what we did here. >> thank you. >> reporter: facing a field of political veterans, he played his newcomer status as an asset. >> i know that i haven't spent a lot of time learning the ways of washington. but i've been there long enough to know that the ways of washington must change. >> reporter: change he advocated in health care, the economy, education and poverty, reserving his harshest words for the war in iraq, calling it a tragic mistake. >> america, it is time to start bringing our troops home. >> reporter: obama says his plan bo bring them home by march of 2008. >> it was on this day some six years ago. we are getting ready to cover the state of the union on tuesday, and it is tradition that in the speech, the president says "the state of our union is" blank. we want you to finish that sentence this year.

here's mine. to be determined, tbd. it's your turn. write out your answer, take a photo of that answer and submit it to us, facebook.com/msnbc. you can also share it with us on twitter and instagram. there's the hashtag right there, #sotuis, state of the union is. but there are some things i've never seen before. this ge jet engine can understand 5,000 data samples per second. which is good for business. because planes use less fuel, spend less time on the ground and more time in the air. suddenly, faraway places don't seem so...far away. ♪

so i can't afford to have germy surfaces. but after one day's use, dishcloths can redeposit millions of germs. so ditch your dishcloth and switch to a fresh sheet of new bounty duratowel. look! a fresh sheet of bounty duratowel leaves this surface cleaner than a germy dishcloth, as this black light reveals. it's durable, cloth-like and it's 3 times cleaner. so ditch your dishcloth and switch to new bounty duratowel. the durable, cloth-like picker-upper.

he has a major address coming up, but president obama's got some competition on the speaking circuit these days, it seems. house majority leader eric cantor gave a hefty speech to a conservative group last week where he urged the gop to make moves not just when it comes to budget issues, but also on education, immigration and health care. kentucky senator rand paul has a big speech this week when he will be delivering the tea party response to the president's state of the union address tuesday night. back now, "washington post" political reporter nia-malika henderson and resident repres t

politician. you said cantor is trying to rebrand the republican party and take on take on social issues, specifically immigration. this is cantor this morning on "meet press." >> we want to make sure we're passionate and sensitive to their plight. the kids know no other place as home but on the other hand we are a country of laws. we have a situation of border security that we've got to get straight. we have to secure our borders, and there is this balance that needs to take place but the best place to begin i think is with the children. let's go ahead and get that under our belt, put a win on the board and so we can promise a better life for those kids who are here due to know fault of their own. >> compassionate, sensitive, children, kids. what -- what's cantor trying to do here? what kind of message is he trying to send? >> well, this goes back to george bush, right in the compassionate conservative. in some ways it goes back to

even rick perry who, of course, wanted and had a deal like this in texas and talked about whether or not republicans had a heart because they wanted a different approach to immigration. this is the gop realizing that they have to change their rhetoric. i think the problem still is around policy. is it just going to be a rebranding in terms of how they talk about these issues, or is it going to be a change in policy because there still is a wide gulf in terms of how different groups, not only feel like they want to be talked to or talked about, but in terms of how they feel about policy and the role that government plays in shaping people's lives. >> if there's a big deal on immigration, who gets cred senior citizen who gets the win? is it democrats or is it a shared victory? >> you know, it looks like it could be a shared victory because you have so much movement. marco rubio out front in trying to get something done. people like lindy graham out of south carolina also, so it seems like it would be bipartisan, but i think you have a situation where democrats are far ahead in this issue. you saw, of course, in 2012 that

obama was able to do seoul so well in those states among latinos so republicans have some catching up to do, but this is certainly a good start for them in terms of having a party that is in step with the demographic changes that we see in the country. >> why is eric cantor, known primarily for his fiscal efforts, if you will, why is he especially effective for messaging here, or is he? >> well, he's trying to refute the image of the republican party as the party of no. that's the image that they have acquired, no. on the fiscal cliff they were the party of no. on sequestration the party of no. he's trying to say what republicans can do problem-solving, real problems for real people. republicans believe historically that economic froet is sufficient. if the government keeps the economy growing, people will solve problems for themselves, and democrats believe that economic growth is necessary but not sufficient because there are a lot of people who are still left out, even if the economy is

growing. republicans would like to make up for that with captor's speech by saying, look, we have our own approach to problem solving. >> cantor had the big speech and the president, of course, the big speech. rand paul is going to be doing what has become what a regular thing now, the tea party response. he talked on cnn this morning about what he plans to say after the president tuesday night. take a listen. >> none of the things i ran on as part of the tea party have been fixed. we're still going down a hole as far as the debt crisis looming, and so we really have to still talk about spending, and we want to make sure that there still is a voice for that. >> nia-malika, how much voice does he or the tea party still have? >> this is a big fight we're going to say already playing out in the republican party. what is the role of the tea party? what is the role of the establishment? you're going to see on tuesday night after president obama makes his speech not only rand paul give the tea party address

but marco rubio give what would be maybe considered more of the establishment response to president obama. the tea party very much in arms about seeming to be pushed aside by the likes of karl rove in terms of wanting to get more involved in the primaries, and in some ways it seems like establishment republicans are blaming tea party folks for some of the losses they suffered in 2012, but as we can see from rand paul, they aren't going anywhere, and they certainly have a lot of the energy behind them that we saw in 2010, was very effective. not so in 2012, however. >> bill, we've got the response to the response now, and who nose knows next year there might be a response to the response to the response. >> that's right. >> but you've got rand paul following marco rubio. has marco rubio fallen out of the graces of the tea party? >> well, it certainly is a slap in the face to marco rubio because he was a tea party favorite. >> that's right. >> when he ran for the senate. he was one of their heroes. look, now someone is reputting his rebuttal.

this is an incredible situation. rand paul, of course, is very much in line with the tea party, and there's a civil war going on within the republican party now involving money on both sides of the establishment versus the tea party republicans. i think rand paul would like to run for president, partly what's behind this. here's one clue. he edeparted from his father's position on foreign policy. when his father ron paul ran for president he got in trouble with a lot of republicans because his foreign policy was anti-war and isolationist which a lot of republicans didn't like. rand paul is departing from that, trying to make himself more acceptable, i think, to mainstream republicans. >> so you think we'll have another paul on the ballot in 2016. is rand paul remotely electable, nia-malika henderson? >> i'm not really sure. >> nationally. >> if you look at what happens, the republicans as much as we can talk about how they have moved to the right, the last candidates that have come out of these primaries have been moderates. you think about mitt romney,

john mccain. is there going to be a third party, the tea party that breaks away from the gop. we'll have to wait and see. >> thanks to both of you. good to see you on this sunday. >> thank you. >> just ahead, top of the hour. the big dig has a new meaning in boston. digging out from more than three feet of snow, but it won't be in time for school tomorrow. good news force kids. bad news for parent. plus, california officials are giving an update on the manhunt for chris dorn er, the lapd police officer accused of killing three. we'll bring the press conference to you live. [ male announcer ] when was the last time something made your jaw drop? campbell's has 24 new soups that will make it drop over, and over again.

♪ from jammin' jerk chicken, to creamy gouda bisque. see what's new from campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do. when you lost the thing you can't believe you lost.. see what's new from campbell's. when what you just bought, just broke. or when you have a little trouble a long way from home... as an american express cardmember you can expect some help. but what you might not expect, is you can get all this with a prepaid card. spends like cash. feels like membership. she pretty much lives in her favorite princess dress. and she's not exactly tidy. even if she gets a stain she'll wear it for a week straight. so i use tide to get out those week old stains and downy to get it fresh and soft. since i'm the one who has to do the laundry. i do what any expert dad would do. i let her play sheriff. i got 20 minutes to life.

you are free to go. [ dad ] tide and downy. great on their own, even better together. i honestly loved smoking, and i honestly didn't think i would ever quit. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix is proven to help people quit smoking. it reduces the urge to smoke. it put me at ease that you could smoke on the first week. [ male announcer ] some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of depression or other mental health problems, which could get worse while taking chantix. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you develop these stop taking chantix and see your doctor right away as some can be life-threatening. if you have a history of heart or blood vessel problems, tell your doctor if you have new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack. use caution when driving or operating machinery. common side effects include nausea,

trouble sleeping and unusual dreams. with chantix and with the support system it worked. it worked for me. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor if chantix is right for you. . good sunday afternoon to you. i'm craig melvin. the northeast is beginning to get back to normals but everywhere someone is still digging out. also, finding a fugitive. californian officials are hoping the public can help find a

police officer accused of killing three and president obama ready to go primetime for his vision for a second term. we'll get to that in a few minutes. we'll start with that in an update on the massive snow storm that walloped the northeast. in boston students can sleep in a little later tomorrow. beantown's public schools plan to stay closed but for commuters no such relief. mass transit starts to get back on track tomorrow. i want to go to ron mott standing back in boston. has limited train and bus service resumed where you are right now? >> they have. they started 2:00. mbta got some of the buses and some of the "t" service. tomorrow we expect the services to be a back online. don't expect smooth sailing. pack in some extra patience and some time for your commute tomorrow because the schedules will have to fluctuate because of all of this. it took about 24 hours to create all of this mess out here.

quite beautiful under the sun today. it's going to take a little longer than 24 hours to get things back to norm a. over in connecticut where one town, hampden, they recorded 40 inches. governor dan malloy tweeted to some of the workers who were involved in not going on about all of this had to take monday off. they will get another free day to play out in the snow tomorrow. no school for boston public schools. opening some centers for community centers. there will be places where they can take their kids where they head back to work tomorrow. in terms of temperatures we're expecting temperatures to stay in the 30s this week so a lot of snow will melt. the concern, of course, there's a lot of snow on the roof tops and it will start sliding and crashing down on the ground below. really melting and folks are being asked to take extra precautions and some of the buildings have a lot of snow, and that snow is going to fall a long distance. coming up this morning from providence, i saw a long line of power convoys coming up, full.

150 some odd vehicles. a lot of folks without power. at last check, take a look at the numbers. we think we have 230,000 in the dark here in massachusetts. massachusetts had the highest number of folks without power. rhode island had the highest concentration, the highest percentage of folks without power so we're going to go back to you, craig. i understand breaking news on the west coast. >> ron mott there for us in boston. want to get to the other big story right now. out on the west coast, officials there at los angeles police headquarters getting ready to give us news on the christopher dorner situation. dorner, the former cop, suspected of killing three including another former police officer. you are looking at l.a. mayor antonio villaraigosa offering details on a major reward being offered. >> good afternoon. today the search for christopher dorner continues. let me be clear. our dedication to catching this

killer remains steadfast. our confidence that we will bring him to justice is unshaken. this search is not a matter of if. it's a matter of when, and i want christopher dorner to know that. to that end we're all here today for one purpose, to stand united and say that we will not tolerate a killer targeting our officers and their families, targeting innocent people in this city and in this region. yesterday leaders from throughout the region, including leaders from businesses and unions, government, law enforcement and community groups came together to pool resources and protect our core value of

public safety. collectively this group, led by my office, is posting a reward of $1 million for information that will lead to mr. dorner's capture. we will not tolerate anyone undermining the security, the tranquility of our neighborhoods and our communities. we will not tolerate this reign of terror that has robbed us of the peace of mind that residents of southern california deserve. we will not tolerate this murderer remaining at large. authorities from los angeles, irvine, riverside, the fbi, the united states marshall services and other agencies are working together to bring this ordeal to an end, and let me say this. some of you have heard me say this over the last seven and a

half years again and again and again. we're as safe as we are. we're as safer as we are at any time since the 1950s in no small part because the lapd, the sheriff department and the law enforcement agencies of this region work as collaboratively as they do, and that's also true, of course, for our federal partners and once again we are working seamlessly to protect the public and to bring mr. dorner to justice. now, chief beck will give you an update on the search in just a moment, but first allow me to acknowledge a number of people who are here with me today. in addition to lapd chief charlie beck, riverside mayor rusty bailey, irvine mayor dr. steven choy, fbi assistant

director in charge bill lewis, riverside police chief diaz, u.s. marshal for the central district of california david singer and also supervisor amtonovich, thank you for joining us. thank you as well for answering the call of duty. every day i marvel and applaud their unwavering bravery. their dedication has been complemented by the vigilance of residents throughout this region. you've been on the lookout and shared your leads with law enforcement. we thank you for it. anyone with tips can call 213-486-5230. but i also want to remind everyone to continue to be alert as long as this man remains at

large. if you see mr. dorner or even suspect that you see him, please, do not engage him. he is considered armed and extremely dangerous. with your help we can bring this tragedy to an end, and now i'd like to introduce lapd chief charlie beck. i will give spanish remarks afterwards. >> good morning and thanks for being here. as the mayor said, the search for dorner continues. we continue to focus on his last known locations in the big bear area, but our search continues in and around the areas where we have known targets. there are over 50 lapd families that have not only security but surveillance in and around their neighborhoods. these 50 lapd families are

targets of dorner's, and are likely, likely victims. the reward that the mayor talked about, $1 million. this is the largest local reward ever offered to our knowledge. some may ask why so large. this is an act, and make no mistake about it, of domestic terrorism. this is a man who has targeted those that we entrust to protect the public. his actions cannot go unanswered. a society is defined by what it values, and we value our law enforcement family. that's why the reward is so significant. also, this is not about capturing a fleeing suspect. this is about preventing a future crime, likely a murder.

every day that dorner is loose, the likelihood of an attack on either a uniformed police officer or a family of a police officer is likely. that's why we rush to make this offer. we asked the public, please help us to protect you. help us to find dorner before he is able to kill again. i want to thank some folks. i want to thank my allied law enforcement brothers and sisters. we could co-located in our regional intelligence center. we are working seamlessly with our local, state and federal partners. i am confident that we have the best of the best working this case. i visited the joint regional intelligence center yesterday,

spoke personally with the scores of detectives working there. they are committed to this hunt, and the mayor is right. we will capture dorner. we will bring him to justice. for those of you that have questions about how the reward works, the reward is for the capture and conviction. for those of you that question how so much money was put together it was amazingly, amazingly easy. when we reached out to members of this community. they gave immediately, and i want to particularly thank my employee organizations. significant donation by my police union, the police protective league, significant donation by my federal credit unions, and they also reached out to employee organizations of law enforcement up and down the

state who gave willingly. i want to thank the private donors who not only gave willingly but immediately. many contacted me or the mayor. they didn't have to be asked. they called and demanded to be included. this shows what l.a. and southern california values, and i think it's important that we make this statement just as i think it's important that we capture christopher dorner. thank you, mr. mayor. >> also with us is chief john thomas of the university of southern california police department. i want to acknowledge him and their efforts and their generosity in this effort. please help me welcome the riverside city mayor, rusty bailey.

>> greater love has no one to this than to lay down one's life for one's friends. while many americans in the public enjoy a sabbath day of rest this sunday our brave law enforcement officers are patrolling the streets, responding to calls for help and protecting our cities from evil. we lost one of those courageous souls this week, and we stand here today in solidarity to ask christopher donor to surrender without further loss of life. our hearts go out and our prayers are lifted high for the officers and families that have been forever impacted by this senseless manifesto and random act of violence in riverside. we also stand here in prayer for the safety of those who continue to search for the perpetrator of these evil acts. thank you all for supporting our highly trained and professional police department and law enforcement agencies. >> that's the latest on the

search for christopher dorner, the ex-lapd officer who is accused of killing three, including a former could. i want to bring in my colleague john yang who has been following all the developments there. $1 million, according to law enforcement officials there, the largest known local reward in los angeles. we also found out that there are some 50 families that are being provided with security. these families are families of lapd officers, also thought to be possible targets for dorner as well. what can you tell us, john, about the manhunt right now? >> well, it's continuing. as the chief said, chief charlie beck of the lapd, said it's continuing. they are focusing on big bear lake in the san bernardino mountains. that's the last known location that -- of dorner. they found his burned-out truck there. that was four days ago. you know, implicit of their offer, the reward, is that they really haven't made much

progress in finding them, that they are still looking of evidence for them and another interesting point is that chief check made is they know where he was on thursday and they also know where he wants to go. they have this list of people they want to target in his manifesto, than 50 families as he pointed out are not just asking security but they have veilance, they have people watching out in the areas that they live because they know dorner wants to go to those places which is perhaps a mixed blessing. they know where he wants to go, but they also know when he gets to those places there's likely to be violence. he wants to kill those people and that there's a police presence around those areas so it's -- it may not be -- could be pretty ugly when he does get to those places, craig. >> there were reports earlier, john, that officials were concerned that he's had some flight training. what more can you tell us about that? >> he did get some flight

training in the navy, and so the homeland security, the transportation security administration put out a be on the lookout alert to private pilots, to owners and operators of airports that perhaps he might be trying to get a plane to escape. they do quickly note they don't know the -- the current state of his flying abilities. >> okay. but because he was in the navy, because he did get flight training, it is entirely possible that he could be trying to get a plane somewhere to get out of here. >> all right. nbc's john yang for us there from california. if there is an update here within the hour, we will come back to you, sir. thank you. we'll take a quick break. when we come back, we'll turn back to politics. expect presidential pressure to come down on capitol hill very soon, and it all has to do with cutting down on the lines to get to the voting booths. first though, will they or won't they? the senate could cast their final votes on the violence against women act as early as

tomorrow. we'll also speak with two gentleman familiar with the writing and delivering of state of the union addresses. what the president may and may not say. this is msnbc, the police for politics. [ indistinct shouting ]

♪ [ indistinct shouting ] [ male announcer ] time and sales data. split-second stats. [ indistinct shouting ] ♪ it's so close to the options floor... [ indistinct shouting, bell dinging ] ...you'll bust your brain box. ♪ all on thinkorswim from td ameritrade. ♪ to compete on the global stage. what we need are people prepared for the careers of our new economy. by 2025 we could have 20 million jobs without enough college graduates to fill them. that's why at devry university, we're teaming up with companies like cisco to help make sure everyone is ready with the know-how we need for a new tomorrow. [ male announcer ] make sure america's ready. make sure you're ready. at devry.edu/knowhow. ♪

but first you've got to get him to say, "hello." new crest 3d white arctic fresh toothpaste. use it with these 3d white products, and whiten your teeth in just 2 days. new crest 3d white toothpaste. life opens up when you do. new crest 3d white toothpaste. to find you a great deal, even if it's not with us. [ ding ] oh, that's helpful! well, our company does that, too. actually, we invented that. it's like a sauna in here. helping you save, even if it's not with us -- now, that's progressive! call or click today. no mas pantalones! i need you. i feel so alone. but you're not alone. i knew you'd come. like i could stay away. you know i can't do this without you.

you'll never have to. you're always there for me. shh! i'll get you a rental car. i could also use an umbrella. fall in love with progressive's claims service. on tuesday the president will deliver the first state of the union address of his second term. he's pected to focus mainly on the economy and middle class americans. for more now on the speech we're joined by a former speech writer for president bill clinton and michael gerson, former speech writer for george w. bush. thanks for being here. >> good to be other. >> it seems like the white house han been flooding the tone in terms of messaging, news

conferences, tweets on guns, immigration, sequestration as well. what's the kind of strategy leading up to a speech like this? >> i think the president is going to move from the poetry of we the people in the inaugural to the prose of it's the economy, stupid, in the state of the union, and the administration has been rolling out a lot of initiatives and ideas partly to see what the response will be. >> okay. >> and partly to test how to talk about them. >> it's message testing. >> that's right. >> mike, michael, since we've been hearing so much from the president lately, is he in danger at all of maybe giving a speech that sounds a lot like others that we've heard from him? >> well, i think it is a danger that the debate sounds tired. if we're talking about the deficit all the time. if he really wants to talk about economic growth, about sparking economic growth, he's going to need to bring new policy to the

table in this speech. he can't just repeat what he has said barnstorming the country in a variety of settings. that's the burden of policy not rhetoric for the speech. i think there needs to be -- if he wants a new beginning on the debate to economic growth he has to bring some new things to the table. >> do you think we'll hear policy prescriptions on tuesday night? >> i think there will be a lot of policy, and i think that the president going into the first year of his second term needs to have something new, but he also needs to have something familiar. the last thing a president wants is to have coverage that says that he's abandoning what he used to stand for, and he's adopting something entirely different from what he was elected and re-elected on. >> michael in, his 1996 state of the union speech president bill clinton delivered this memorable line. >> the era of big government is over.

[ applause ] but -- but we cannot go back to the time when our citizens were left to fend for themselves. >> michael, the era of big government is over. is there a trick to the trade of crafting moments like these in state of the union addresses? >> well, you have to summarize the moment to some extent. that was what bill clinton brought to that democratic party at that time was a major repositioning. that's what he had done in '92 and that's i think what was doing there. but i don't think we're going to hear even anything remotely like this from the president. he's coming off an election victory which he views as a real affirmation of a kind of progressive vision of government that actively helps the middle class, and that's likely what we're going to hear, whether we

have new policy or not, and that's going to be a contrast. marco rubio is going to talk about how limited government is good for the middle class. there will be arguments about the middle class, but i think very different methods to get there. the lines will likely be pretty sharp. >> so we will have a conversation on tuesday night, a conversation that we've all become familiar, a conversation over the role of government. >> i think that's likely. >> if i -- >> go ahead. >> if i could say one thing. i'm glad that you showed the second line that president clinton had after saying that the era of big government is over. i'm glad that you showed something that isn't quoted that often where he said but we must not go back to the era where our citizens had to fend for themselves. i think you're going to hear that kind of balance from president obama on tuesday night >> you beat me to t.excellent. that's exactly what i was going to get at next. former presidential speech writers michael kuznet and michael gerson. appreciate you coming up on this

sunday. up next the battle on the war on women. you're watching msnbc, the place for politics. stay with us. al hair removal can be costly. challenge that with olay facial hair removal duos for fine or coarse hair. first a pre-treatment balm then the effective cream. for gentle hair removal at far less than salon prices. there's no place like home. every signature is unique, and every fingerprint unrepeatable. at sleep number, we recognize the incredible diversity of human beings, and know that up there with your social security number and your phone number is another important number. your sleep number. so we created the extraordinarily comfortable sleep number experience.

it's a collection of innovations designed around a bed with dualair technology that allows you to adjust to the support your body needs - each of your bodies. and you'll only find it in one place: at a sleep number store. where right now, during the ultimate sleep number event, queen mattresses start at just $599 . and you can save an astonishing 50% on o innovative sleep number limited edition bed. you won't find your sleep number setting at an ordinary mattress store. you'll find it exclusively at a sleep number store. sleep number. comfort...individualized. all stations come over to mithis is for real this time. step seven point two one two. verify and lock. command is locked. five seconds. three, two, one. standing by for capture. the most innovative software on the planet... dragon is captured. is connecting today's leading companies to places beyond it.

siemens. answers. is efficiently absorbed in small continuous amounts. citracal slow release continuously releases calcium plus d with efficient absorption in one daily dose. citracal slow release.

tomorrow the senate is expected to vote for the reauthorization of the violence against women act originally passed in 1994. this bill was a bipartisan effort to reduce violent crimes against women, but it was allowed to expire in 2011. last year the law became a sticking point for many republican lawmakers who took issue with the bill's expansion, avid just last week eight republican senators voted against the law, even going to the floor for a vote. joining me is president and the ceo of the national network to end domestic violence. kim, good to see you. >> thank you. nice to be back on the show. >> the eight senators who voted to block the violence against women act from even going to the floor. they were all republican men. there they are right there. considering the gop's deficit with women, how will it further

affect their credibility with that group? >> i think the fact that so many republicans did vote to move the violence against women act to the floor tells you that it is broadly supported by women of both parties and that for the most part the senators are listening to that. they are hearing the women in their districts. it's telling i think that every single female senator, both democrats and republicans, all 20 of them, are supporting the violence against women act in the senate. >> in a nutshell for folks who have not been following this story really quickly, what is this bill about? what does it do? >> the violence against women act has been the cornerstone for the last 20 years of our nation's response to domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. about half of the money in it goes to law enforcement to provide services, training for law enforcement, for police, for prosecutors, for courts and about half of it goes towards

providing services for victims, everything from shelter and transitional housing to hotlines and counseling programs and batterer intervention programs. >> my understanding is that some concessions had to be made on expansion of the bill to get it passed what. aspects of that are particularly concern? >> well, one provision that would have allowed some particular -- there's a particular kind of visa that is available to immigrants who are assisting law enforcement in the prosecution of a crime. that's called a u-views a. that's something that law enforcement very strongly recommended that there be an increased number of these available for battered immigrant women nord for them to feel secure in some forward. otherwise they might fear that if they come forward and in fact do fear that if they come forward and report abuse that they might be deported, that they might lose their kids which

might be kept behind or that their children might be left with their abuser while they are in detention. i mean, you can imagine all of those reasons so law enforcement very strongly recommended an increase in the number of u-visas. there was a compromise where there was no increase in the number of u-visas but there was a provision to recapture unused ones from prior years, and even that had to be taken out. >> kim gandhi, thank you. >> my pleasure. >> coming up, developments on the shooting death of the 15-year-old girl in chicago. we're going to bring you those development right after a quick break here. also coming up, we're going to turn to the brain trust. we're going to ask them if the obama doctrine actually is in a lot of ways the bush doctrine repackaged. you're watching msnbc, the place for politics. we get doing... ...with a store full of ways to get it done. we can all throw on our work clothes...

...and throw out any doubt. because right now's the time to take those rooms from... ..."think i can do this?" to... ..."let me show you what i just did." more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. outsmart your budget with this ashland vanity, a special buy at $299. using robotics and mobile technology, verizon innovators have made it possible for teachers to teach, and for a kid... nathan. tadpole. ... to feel like a kid again. because the world's biggest challenges deserve even bigger solutions. powerful answers. verizon.

with multiple lacerations to the wing and a fractured beak. surgery was successful, but he will be in a cast until it is fully healed, possibly several months. so, if the duck isn't able to work, how will he pay for his living expenses? aflac. like his rent and car payments? aflac. what about gas and groceries? aflac. cell phone? aflac, but i doubt he'll be using his phone for quite a while cause like i said, he has a fractured beak. [ male announcer ] send the aflac duck a get-well card at getwellduck.com. . we have some developing news coming out of chicago right now

where our msnbc station wmaq has confurmd that police there are now questioning two persons of interest in connection with the death of hadiya pendleton, the 15-year-old girl who performed at the president's inauguration just a week before being gunned down about a mile from president obama's chicago house. again, two people -- two people have been taken in for questioning at this point. no one has been charged. we'll continue to follow the story, and we'll pass along any new developments as they happen. turning to politics and a debate over fixing our election system. extra long lines, delays, frustrated voters put the state of florida. joining me now is the supervisor of elections for leon county florida. thanks for being here. >> my pleasure, craig. >> going to call your attention to the "new york times" story that i'm sure you saw. >> yes. >> florida has the nation's

longest voting lines. last november it took people on average 45 minutes to vote. some folks reported waiting in line for up to three hours in the sunshine state. what happened? >> well, what happened was that in 2010 the republicans were allowed to elect a majority that went beyond the normal majority, and the super majority allowed the republicans to pass legislation without even consulting the republicans or anyone, and the legislation that was passed by the republican leadership in 2011 was simply nothing more than a voter suppression attempt. i think everyone sees that now, and it backfired. it backfired in two ways. one, it did fire up the minority community, both latino and african-american in america and the second mistake it didn't succeed so the republicans in the state of florida have egg on their face and at this point we're seeing a lot of

cooperation in really restoring the older system of elections which allowed us to operate more successfully from 2006 to 2008. >> i want to get your insight on whether mandatory photo i.d. checks at the polls and cutting back on early voting in florida, for instance, do they hamper or help the election proses? >> well, the florida legislation actually didn't change photo i.d. we've had that since 2006, but we don't have a very, very controlled photo i.d. you can use multiple forms of i.d. and you don't need a birth certificate, for example, us a do in indiana, so the early voting legislation really did impact on us. we lost about a quarter of a million voters that normally would have voted early that couldn't get in in the constricted timetable, and that is one of the major reasons we did have lines. and so we're seeing even the governor, governor scott now, saying we need to restore 14

days of early voting to the citizens of florida, so it's going to be a major legislative fight this senassion. the senate is more willing to undo these egregious reforms but i don't know about the house. the house in the state of florida is much more ideological, craig, and they are going to resist. >> as are most houses across this country and in d.c. as well. always good to see you, leon county florida supervisor elections. thank you. >> thank you, sir. america's fight against terror is under the spotlight against when the use of drones came front and center during john brennan's hearing to head the cia with america's dark secret now in the open. it has some asking if the obama doctrine is merely a repeat of his pred sesors. i want to bring in today's brain trust, aisha moodie-mills, david nakamura, white house reporter for the "washington post" and jennifer reuben, a columnist with the "washington post." also a contributor for cnbc's

"kudlow report." good to see all of you. >> "new york times," powerful headlines on president obama's use of job. "obama's turn in bush's bind." a few years ago it was written when it comes to the legal framework for confronting terrorism president obama is acting in no meaningful sense any different than president bush after 2007. david, are -- has the left become a bunch of hypocrites on the war on terror? >> well, you know, some on the left, craig, are very upset about this, the way the president has handled this. if you go back four years ago when the president was running for office, this would have been a hardship to predict from folks who elected him. he pledged he would end the wars in iraq and afghanistan and do things differently. what this sort of shows is the white house is saying, look, this is a different tactic. we don't want to be in these long extended conflicts with lots of boots on the ground so the president is focused on

using more technology and more surgical strikes, if you will, to root out terrorism and terrorists and go after them specifically, and i think they are saying this is going to protect american interests by not having to go in with our full manpower but the criticism that he's getting is this drone program not only has at times taken out others who are not involved as terrorists but also can be used to go after american citizens who are found to be potentially working with the terrorists and there is a lot of criticism now. >> and american citizens who haven't been tried, who haven't been charged, who have no opportunity to stand in court and make a case for themselves. jennifer, where does the conversation go from here now that president obama has released that memo on drones to congress? >> well, i think, first of all, as david said, there are certainly some on the left who are consistent and opposed the use of drones and opposed the notion that the battlefield is not a courtroom under the bush administration, and those people i think are being consistent. there's another group of people who seem to kind of shrug their

shoulders now so where do we go? i think, first of all, congress is upset because there hasn't been sufficient congressional oversight. this information has been shared in any way with the relevant intelligence community and the administration will be compelled to do that. drone court is not going nowhere. drones are not set up to decide if there's due process. this is really the prerogative of the president but with additional oversight from congress there may be some greater comfort level that this is being done in a reasonable and relatively consistent manner. >> aisha, what will the use of drones, what, if anything, will it do-for-president obama's legacy on foreign policy? >> you know, one of the things i think when we talk about legacy and really thinking about the american legacy abroad and the way people view us, one of the issues that we've had with the lack of transparency with the usage of drones is that we are

not really telling our story about the -- about what we're trying to do in terms of helping to safeguard ourselves to help move democracy around the world so we're leaving it in the hands-of-the-pakistani intelligence, of the taliban, to tell the narrative around why these drone strikes are happening and they are doing it in a way that obviously is painting the united states as a real horrible enemy when in fact that's not the truth, and so i think that there's a whole messaging issue around here that goes beyond president obama's individual legacy and is really about how americans are viewed throughout the world. >> stay right there. when we come back we'll talk about why steven seeingal has been called into the service in the phoenix of desert, seriously. you're watching msnbc, the place for politics. [ female announcer ] does your color have staying power...

or just seem to fade away, day by day? don't compromise. new vidal sassoon pro series from the original salon genius. starts vibrant, stays vibrant. precision mix formula saturates each strand for 100% gray coverage. hydrablock conditioner helps fight fade out for up to 8 weeks. new vidal sassoon lets you say no to compromise and yes to vibrant color like this. new vidal sassoon pro series salon genius. brilliantly priced.

pretty sweet, huh? cute. but don't you have any apps on your phone that can make your life easier? who do you think i am, quicken loans? at quicken loans, we'll provide you with myql mobile. this amazingly useful app allows you to take pictures of your mortgage documents using an iphone or android smart phone... so you can easily send them to us. one more way quicken loans is engineered to amaze. ooh, la-la!

plays a key role throughout our lives. one a day men's 50+ is a complete multivitamin designed for men's health concerns as we age. it has 7 antioxidants to support cell health. one a day men's 50+. all your important legal matters in just minutes. protect your family... and launch your dreams. at legalzoom.com we put the law on your side. joe arpaio is organizing a training session for volunteers outside schools. they will be led by steven seagal. he'll show how to fight off would-be attackers with simple

editing tricks. >> seth myers last night poking some fun at america's arguably most well-known chef. chef joe arpaio and that so-called posse of law enforcement officials got a training class on how to protect children in schools from gunmen and take a look at this tweet that sheriff joe arpaio sent out after the training session showing actor steven seagal all the way in the back with the students, not in that tweet, but there's a picture. there it is, right there. all right. here's the brain trust. aisha emmills, david nakamura and jennifer rubin. sheriff arpaio getting this training at the schools. what do you make of that? >> i don't think having essentially martial law in schools is a consuesive environment for young people to learn so, you know, i do not believe that we should have particularly civilians being trained to be armed guards in schools, and certainly not steven seagal. i'm not sure what the level of

his resume is in terms of being a law enforcement professional, but i -- i just don't feel real safe with my kids going to a school that steven seagal is teaching people how to use guns. >> what does this say about the conversation that we've been having about gun control in this country? >> i think that's right. i think he's not fit to train people in the martial arts and certainly shouldn't train them in acting either. let's hope he doesn't take over the drama class. but listen, here in washington, d.c. area, i live in fairfax county northern virginia, one of the best school districts in the country. every single middle school and high school has a small office with an absolutely armed prepared properly trained police officer. those people give parents an awful lot of peace of mind. they note kids and watch out for the kids. that's fine. it's not intrusive at all. >> isn't it just peace of mind?

isn't that all it really can provide? >> that's part of it. they do have a police car out front. they also do have a weapon and are properly trained. it's better than having steven seagal there, i'll tell you, and they could probably act better, too. listen, i think we have two problems. one is we have a border security problem and we have to get serious about real immigration reform. i think there's a lot of promise in the gang of eight plan that's coming forward. that's one issue, and the second issue is we do have a problem with mentally ill people getting hold of guns and tearizing us. these are good things for congress to work on. >> david, the speech we're going to hear from the president on tuesday, do we expect he's going to devote a significant portion of that speech to what jennifer just mentioned, or do we suspect that it's going to be broad terms, broad comments about gun control? >> i think, craig, you'll see broad comments, both on gun control and on immigration. over the last few days the white house has leaked word that the

president is going to focus on the jobs and the economy. that's still what they are saying is his number one focus, but what are you going to hear him talk about is guns. you may hear people in the audience from the recent shootings we've seen. the sheriff arpaio thing, partly a stunt for attention and media attention and as this debate goes forward, a serious debate and jennifer is right. there's a serious debate about do we have properly trained people in the school. they go beyond mass shootings and day-to-day things where guns are confiscated, knives, other weapons. a deeper issue there. >> but we can't -- >> go ahead. >> i was going to say it's important to underscore the fact that there are a host studies that show that just because you have someone that's armed that approaches someone else who is armed doesn't mean it will keep anybody safe so this means that the only way and best way is to throw in more guns and fight guns is something that's constantly refuting. i personally believe that's not the way that we should g go so

i'm excited to see this conversation in the debate unfold in congress as well as in the general public. >> has this conversation unfolded the way you thought it would right after newtown? is this where we thought you would be in terms of the national conversation on gun control, aisha. >> i'm excited to see that the white house took action as quick as it did, so in terms of how quickly they were able to respond and how comprehensively they created a plan to respond, yes, that's unfolding the way that i hoped that it would. i am just always, you know, surprised, and i probably shouldn't be, because most of us also were rolling our eyes when we heard from the nra and the pushback that they are having and the comments that they are making around this and the fact that they don't -- are not exercising much compassion or empathy is interesting to me and it's disappointing, but sadly i guess it's not surprising. >> jennifer, when all is said and done after the debate ends and legislation is taken up and passed, do you think that the only thing we'll probably see are some sort of enhancement to

background checks? >> i think that's probably the most likely outcome. the president has a problem with democrat and certainly republicans are opposed, for example, trying to reinstewart the 1994 assault weapons ban which didn't work according to a report by the judd so i think that's the most likely thing. i must say police are guns do keep us safe. keep us safe all around. don't disband police forces because a guy with a gun meets a guy with a gun. i don't favor individuals not properly trained, steven seagal or anybody else coming in and that's one part of the puzzle and schools should be a secure place. certainly declaring them to be a no gun zone has been a disastrous policy. >> hasn't worked. brain trust goes to the dogs quite literally right here on msnbc. ah. to grow, we have to boost our social media visibility. more "likes." more tweets. so, beginning today, my son brock and his whole team

will be our new senior social media strategists. any questions? since we make radiator valves wouldn't it be better if we just let fedex help us to expand to new markets? hmm gotta admit that's better than a few "likes." i don't have the door code. who's that? he won a contest online to be ceo for the day. how am i supposed to run a business here without an office?! [ male announcer ] fast, reliable deliveries worldwide. fedex. your financial advisor should focus on your long-term goals, not their short-term agenda. [ male announcer ] join the nearly 7 million investors who think like you do. face time and think time make a difference. at edward jones, it's how we make sense of investing.

by the armful? by the barrelful? the carful? how about...by the bowlful? campbell's soups give you nutrition, energy, and can help you keep a healthy weight. campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do.

we want to update you on the story we've been watching in california. local mayors said they are now offering up to $1 million for information leading to the arrest and conviction of christopher dorner. he, of course, is that ex-lapd cop who is accused of killing three people over the last week. the manhunt for dorner is focused on a ski resort area outside l.a. at this point there's been no sign of, no communication from dorner for several days. the reward is at $1 million. back to politics, a lot of buildup to tuesday night. it's the kind of primetime tv you don't want to miss. not the state of the union, no, no. it's the westminster dog show. i want to bring back the brain trust for the last time, aisha emmills, david nakamura and jennifer rubin. two options there. will there be a breed that emerges as a dark horse winner as westminster dog show on tuesday or you can take it out and tell us which issue will

emerge as a dark horse from the president obama's state of the union? david, we'll start with you. you're the proud owner of two yorkies. >> i've got two yorkies glued to the screen not watching obama. small personalities and big hearts. the yorky will take the toy division and go all the way to the best of the show. what's your headline. yorkies take the westminster show, absolutely. >> aisha, what's yours? >> mine is bing is going to reveal americans want our union to progress. >> you're going with politics. >> jennifer, your headline come tuesday? >> as a proud owner of a gorgeous english setter i'm going to say by jove, english setter takes westminster. hasn't won since 1938. >> not won since 1938. >> wow. >> i would not bet on the

english setter. >> what about the york? >> watch out for the yorky. >> has a yorkie won it recent successfully. >> is that yours. >> no. mine don't look as pretty. >> whose yorky is that? before we let you guys get out of here, david nakamura i wanted to congratulate you. you, sir, in addition took the proud father of two yorkies you're also the proud father of a new baby what? >> thanks, craig. baby daughter josephine ray nakamu nakamura. her mother kristine, a healthy 8 pounds, 6 ounces. >> congratulations. >> thank you so much. >> aisha emmills, great to see you, david nakamura and jennifer rubin, good luck to the english setters. >> thank you. >> that's our show for this sunday afternoon. join us next weekend here on msnbc, saturday 2:00 eastern. i'll be here for three hours and sunday 3:00 eastern i'll be here for two. we'll have all the latest political news, all the latest

analysis and have a little fun, too. meanwhile, keep it here for the latest news updates throughout the night. have a great sunday. and we got onesies. sometimes miracles get messy. so we use tide free. no perfumes or dyes for her delicate skin. brad. not it. not it. just kidding. that's our tide. what's yours? they're about 10 times softer and may have surface pores where bacteria can multiply. polident kills 99.99% of odor causing bacteria and helps dissolve stains. that's why i recommend polident. [ male announcer ] cleaner, fresher, brighter every day.

plays a key role throughout our lives.